Why I May Choose A Home Birth

January 27, 2011

Brian and I interviewed our first home birth midwife on Tuesday. Just part of a journey to figure out where I’m going to give birth and who’s going to attend the birth.

I can’t believe I’m in my 10th week of pregnancy and haven’t settled on anything yet. It feels strange. Nobody’s stuck a needle in me to draw vials of blood, no one’s taken my blood pressure, we haven’t yet heard the heartbeat for the first time…

I had the same OB for my first two babies and gave birth at the same hospital. My OB was unbelievably supportive of natural childbirth. She spent more time than she ‘should’ have at our appointments…sometimes up to an hour even though we were only slotted for 10 or 15 minutes. I didn’t have to ‘fight’ for a natural birth at the hospital. Everything in my birth plan was honored.

She moved away last year. So here I am on my quest to figure out something different.

There aren’t any other OB’s that deliver at the same hospital that would be as supportive as she was. I don’t need that stress. So that hospital is out of the question. And so is the other one that is local to me, for the same reason.

The only doctor I would choose to go to delivers at a hospital that is about 30 minutes from our house. I didn’t like the 10 minute ride to the hospital while I was in labor last time. Not really wanting to be in a car for any longer (or at all) while I’m in labor this time around.

Truthfully, I don’t like HATE being in the hospital. A place filled with sick people. I don’t like people poking their heads in my room on what seems to be an hourly basis. I don’t like breastfeeding charts. I know what I’m doing. I don’t need a nurse to make sure I’m recording every three-minute interval of nursing, including which side it was. I don’t want my husband sleeping in an uncomfortable chair/bed. I want him in bed with me.

Christy, that is SO FUNNY! I can’t believe that’s his biggest fear. It’s not like you’re going to stain the carpet, and it’s the complete opposite of someone DYING in a house! Besides, is that going to be in the listing or something?
“4 bedroom, 2 story house, large living area, open kitchen, homebirth in 2011 in master bedroom with 2 walk-in closets and attached private bath…”
LOL!

That is what I am going to be sad about when we leave our house too! But being a military family, we know our time here is limited. We may very well rent it out, but who knows how long we will actually live in it. It makes my heart so happy to see the place everyday where my son was born. When I take a bath with him in our big garden tub, I whisper to him, “this is where you were born, sweet boy.” 🙂

hey! congrats! and go you!
make the choices you need to make with a whole heart. i wrote on fb i transferred on my own terms, a lot was due to my support system… here, i couldnt choose my hb middy, and didnt click…. i didnt feel supported and decided mid labour – albeit slow, that i needed others around me too. i wish i asked my doula over… get one! but …. doesnt matter, what is done is…. i owned that hospital space and noone was going to tell me what to do!
power to you mama!
ps – my vbac!
sorry for typos – nak!
about to open ina mays guide to childbirth – thanks to you!
xx

Hi there! Can’t remember how I found your blog, but its my first time over here and I’m enjoying it. Just wanted to mention that I had a home birth and it was lovely. My first was born in the hospital without any pain meds, but the signing release forms and trying to convince them that I did not need a saline drip between strong contractions convinced me that perhaps that hospital was not where I wanted to be the next time around. (I waited to go to the hospital until right at the end so I wouldn’t have to fight off the nurses for very long.) I did a home birth with my second and it was lovely. My husband and I both were so glad we’d made that choice. I’m sure you’ll make the best decision for your family. 🙂